Many people will be surprised when they find out that their internet wifi is slower on their desktop than on their laptop. Continue to read to fix your internet speed, download, and bandwidth.
Why Is My Internet Slow on My PC but Not My Laptop?
Many people are experiencing the same problem - their laptops are faster than their desktops regarding WiFi speed. This is because most laptops today come with a wireless card specifically designed for better performance.
The difference in WiFi speed between your laptop and desktop can be attributed to a few factors:
- The wireless card in your laptop is more powerful than your desktop, which means it can work at a higher frequency and connect to networks at greater distances.
- Your desktop Windows 10 / 11 network settings are not correctly configured.
- The antenna on your laptop is more powerful than your desktop, which means it can pick up signals from further away.
- Your laptop may have newer software or drivers, which could result in better performance over time.
- Your laptop may be more contemporary and therefore have better hardware capabilities.
How Can I Increase My Internet Speed in Desktop?
The internet connection in your house can be slow for many reasons. One of the most common reasons is that the wireless router is too far from your PC. There are a few things you can do to improve your internet connection speed on your PC, so you don't have to wait all day for a video to load:
Most Effective Internet Optimizations
- On your desktop computer, open the Command Prompt -> Type netsh interface tcp show global -> Type netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal and reboot your PC.
- Reset your router (your IP may change).
- Uninstall software that potentially dramatically affects your internet speed. For example, suppose you got a network optimizer that prioritizes network packets to specific Windows services. In that case, you can consider uninstalling or changing its configuration. In the case of such software, you could also limit the bandwidth in programs running in the background that you do not use, and they just interfere with your WiFi speed.
- Update your desktop's network drivers from the device manager.
- If there is any Windows update, run it.
- If your desktop is using Wi-Fi, connect it to an Ethernet cable.
- Open the Windows Task Manager on your desktop and analyze the background apps that consume a large bandwidth that make your internet slower.
- Disable as many browser add-ons as possible that you do not use. That will also make your browser run more smoothly.
- If you got slow internet just in your browser or high ping while gaming, you could try to change/add a new DNS in the Windows Control Panel Network Settings. We recommend the Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1.
- Buy a wireless router with built-in antennas. The signal will be stronger if your PC is closer to the router.
Other Fixes
- There are also desktop computers with external antennas, which you can attach to your Wi-Fi network card or USB port on the back of your computer. However, it might not improve performance unless you're near enough to hear a higher quality signal from them.
- You can also try adjusting your wireless settings if you don't want to buy a new router. You can do this by using the Windows "Wireless Network Connection Status" search in the Control Panel and then clicking on "Security." Select "Wireless Security" and click on "802.11n." This will show a list of options for performance. Click the radio button next to your current network type and check the box "Use this device's MAC address for authentication." Click "Apply" and then click "OK."
- If you are gaming, you're probably using Discord. If you have a slow connection and are experiencing internet speed problems, that's the reason. It would be best to try to close Discord while gaming and see how your network performs.
- It would help if you also tried turning off wireless support for your current network card, usually found in the computer's BIOS or control panel. Switching off the wireless support for your current card can improve performance. You can also try switching your computer's wireless connection to 802.11b/g or even 802.11a, which are slower but still compatible with 802.11n hardware and tend to provide better performance than when set on "802.11n only".
- Suppose you're using a USB WiFi network adapter. In that case, you might as well get a wired adapter if it isn't too expensive (usually under $50). Wireless 802.11g adapters can also be a good way of improving WiFi performance. Still, they're more expensive than the above-mentioned wired solutions.
- When you're downloading or uploading large files and have turned on Microsoft Windows Defender, the antivirus software will scan the file for viruses affecting your internet speed. Also, if any virus is detected, it will prevent the file from being downloaded or uploaded. So, to avoid this problem, turn off Windows Defender when downloading or uploading large files.
- Use software to find potential malware that uses your network bandwidth.
- What should I do if I'm still experiencing poor performance after trying the above? If you're still experiencing poor performance, try changing your wireless channel and your wireless mode. Usually, the default channel is 11, and the default mode is "infrastructure."
- If all else fails, and there is still no improvement, try to physically move your router closer to your computer by either taking it with you or moving it with a wired connection attached, then contact your internet service provider (ISP) that may help you to improve your internet connectivity.
What Affects Computer Download Speed?
Download speed is the time it takes for a file to be downloaded from the internet. It is usually measured in kilobytes per second (KB/s). The download speed is affected by many factors, such as the quality of your internet connection and the size of the file you are downloading.
Suppose you have a fast internet connection but are downloading a large file. In that case, your download speed will be slower than if you had a slow connection and were downloading a smaller file.
The speed of a computer processor is the rate at which it performs basic mathematical and logical operations. The speeds of computers vary from 4 GHz to 6.4 GHz. Multiplying its clock frequency in Hertz (Hz) by the number of cores it has can determine the speed of an individual processor by multiplying its clock frequency in Hertz (Hz) by the number of cores it has, with one core being equivalent to one CPU processing unit.
The speed of a computer disk is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). Disk drives spin at a speed of 5400 RPM.
The speed at which a computer can process or store data is often referred to as its "processing speed" or "storage speed," respectively. The processing and storage speeds are usually listed in gigahertz (GHz) or megahertz (MHz).
The internet download speed is the actual rate at which data travels over the Internet from your pc, tablet, phone, etc., to a remote server on the Internet.
Speed Test Your Network
A speedtest measures how fast your internet connection is. We all know that a slow internet connection can be a real pain when trying to do things online.
This section will guide you through the steps of running your speed test, and then offer tips on what to do if the results are not what you expected.
The first step is to visit the website for one of the many free speed testing services available online, like Speedtest.net or Fast.com. Once there, select the server closest to your location and click “Begin Test.” The results will appear in a few seconds and show you how fast your internet connection is and other information about its performance, such as internet upload and download speeds, latency, packet loss, and more.
